Since Aug. 1, the city of Denton has announced several grant awards for local nonprofits as part of the American Rescue Plan Act to help them address the rising community need for services. Nine nonprofits offering affordable housing, health care, mental health services and child care will receive more than $100,000.
Earlier this month, the city announced that it was giving a total of $1.3 million in funds from the second half of the funding from the American Rescue Plan to Our Daily Bread, Together with Monsignor King Outreach Center, the operators of the Denton Community Shelter on Loop 288.
The American Rescue Plan, launched in 2021, was an initiative by the Biden administration “to change the course of the [COVID-19] pandemic, build a bridge towards economic recovery and invest in racial justice.”
In an Aug. 1 press release, the city said that the funds will be used to bolster the Denton Community Shelter’s essential operations and management services.
Chief of Staff Ryan Adams said the $1.3 million in funding will be provided to Our Daily Bread via monthly reimbursements that begin next month.
Mayor Gerard Hudspeth said in the release that the funds show the city’s willingness to address homelessness, though it has been reluctant to open overnight cooling stations for the unhoused people who aren’t seeking shelter, according to a June 24 Denton Record-Chronicle report.
On Aug. 17, the city also announced that the Denton City Council approved $1.5 million from the funding provided by the American Rescue Act to eight local nonprofits in an attempt “[to] provide crucial financial assistance to organizations serving Denton’s diverse population.”
Those nonprofits include:
- Denton Affordable Housing Corporation ($100,000)
- Denton Christian Preschool ($160,000)
- Denton County MHMR ($125,000)
- Habitat for Humanity of Denton County ($100,000)
- Health Services for North Texas ($135,330)
- PediPlace ($230,781)
- Project Hope Family Enrichment Center ($100,000)
- Solutions of North Texas ($200,000).
The $1.5 million was coordinated through the city’s Capacity Building Grant for Nonprofits and awarded to those nonprofits that were experiencing negative economic impacts from COVID-19, according to the Aug. 17 press release.
Denton held an open application period for nonprofits between April 28 and May 28. Adams said that 25 agencies applied. An application review by the Community Services Advisory Committee followed, narrowing those agencies to eight.
In the Aug. 17 release, the city said that the funding will allow the local nonprofits to expand and improve services and weather challenges and uncertainties that arise.
“Through the Capacity Building Grant for Nonprofits, the City of Denton remains steadfast in its commitment to improving the lives of its community members,” Community Services Director Dani Shaw said in the release. “These grants demonstrate that dedication.”